Once upon a time there lived a very inquiring little girl named Sara. She had once heard a story about a Castle of Wisdom, not too far from her home. It was said that only those who sincerely desired wisdom could see this wonderful magical castle.

Sara was very eager to find this magical castle. One day she decided to look for it. Since she knew that only those who sincerely desired wisdom could find it, she closed her eyes and prayed to God that it might be so.

When she opened her eyes, she realized that she was now in the shadow of something immense. She quickly turned around and found herself staring at a most beautiful castle.

The castle was so large that she could not see the top of it. Its main tower actually rose up through the clouds where it disappeared.

Suddenly a beautiful angel emerged from the entrance of the castle and flew towards where Sara was standing.

“Would you like me to take you into the Castle of Wisdom?” asked the angel.

Sara was excited and answered, “Oh yes, yes. Please do!”

The angel took Sara by the hand and led her inside. Upon entering the first floor of the castle, she was directed to look out of a window.

As Sara looked out the window angel asked her, “What do you see?”

“I can see the world, just as I normally do,” replied Sara.

“Very good,” remarked the angel. “The first step towards wisdom is observing the various things the world presents before your eyes. Some people stop at this first floor, becoming no wiser than what their eyes show them. Do you wish to climb up to the next level towards reaching wisdom?”

Sara anxiously nodded “yes” with a quick up and down motion of her head.

“Follow me,” said the angel. Holding hands, the angel led Sara up a stairway to the next level of the castle. “Go to the window and tell me what you see.”

Sara went over to the window of the second floor of the castle and peered out from it. “Wow,” she said, “I can not only see the world but everything I have ever remembered.”

“You are looking out the window called imagination,” said the angel. This window represents another kind of seeing. The imagination lets you see everything in your memory and allows you to make new combinations from all the various material stored in your memory. This window gives you the ability to invent creative ideas. But some people never go on beyond this floor of creativity and ingenuity.”

“I want to move further up the castle,” said Sara.

“Then, follow me!” came the angel’s snappy response.

Again the two ascended a staircase, which brought them to a third level in the castle. Again the angels instructed the Sara to look out a window and describe what she saw.

“I see a book,” said Sara with some surprise. “It is some kind of book with lots of rules in it.”

“What is the title of the book?” questioned the angel.

“The book is called Civility,” answered Sara.

“Excellent!” said the angel with a smile. “This window is yet another kind of seeing. It gives you the additional power to take the best ideas you’ve ever imagined and create rules from them for living with others in the world. Whereas the window in the floor below this one allowed you to be creative, it does not address the quality of your character. But this higher window gives you judgment, which can be applied to the rules you live by.

“Have I reached wisdom yet?” asked Sara.

“Not yet,” replied the angel. “The window on this floor allows you to reason about things, but true wisdom comes from a higher point of view.”

“Can you take me there?” pleaded little Sara.

“Yes, said the angel. “But this time we are going to climb up to a room that is even higher than the clouds.”

Upon reaching this next room, Sara excitedly ran to the window even before being told.

“Now what do you see?” asked the angel.

“I see more angels,” said Sara. “They all seem to be helping each other without giving it a moment’s thought.”

“They are not simply cooperating and being helpful to each other from any civil principle of respect or having to weigh any consequences, but from a deeper principle of sincere love.” The angel then flew closer to Sara, looked her deeply in the eyes and said, “True wisdom comes from the heart, not the head.”

“Can I have true wisdom?” asked a hopeful Sara.

“Most certainly,” came the angel. “You see, my dear, this castle, with all its wonderful levels, is actually within YOU.”

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About thegodguy

EDWARD F. SYLVIA, M.T.S.
Philosopher/Theologian Edward F. Sylvia attended the School of Visual Arts in New York and received his Master of Theological Studies at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA and a Certificate of Swedenborgian Studies from the Swedenborgian House of Studies. He is a member of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (C.T.N.S.) and the Swedenborg Scientific Association (S.S.A.).
Award-winning author of "Sermon From the Compost Pile: Seven Steps Toward Creating An Inner Garden" and "Proving God," which fulfills a continuing vision that God’s fingerprints of love can be found everywhere in the manifest universe. His most recent book, "Swedenborg & Gurdjieff: The Missing Links" is an edgy collection of anti-intuitive essays for personal transformation that challenges and inspires.
He has been a student of the ideas of both Emanuel Swedenborg and George I. Gurdjieff for over thirty years. Read more about TheGodGuy, his books and his ideas at http://www.staircasepress.com